ONE of Scotland’s oldest pubs is set to reopen tomorrow (November 25) following a significant restoration project. The interior of the Sheep Heid Inn in Duddingston, Edinburgh,

which is said to date from 1360, has been refurbished to restore some of the original features to the pub. As well as the new look, the Mitchells &#38; Butlers pub has a new landlord, David Jardine, who aims to put the Sheep Heid on the din- ing out map.

Kuta is on Glasgow’s Bath Street.

New bar adds some spice

GLASGOW bar and restaurant owner Alan Tomkins has launched a new bar in Bath Street. Kuta, which takes its name from a spice town in Bali, is located in the basement premises previously occupied by tapas restaurant Tapela. The bar has an extensive cocktail list featuring drinks like The Captain’s Rest – The Kraken rum with Chambord, apricot brandy, apple, cranberry and lemon juices and gomme syrup. On food, the menu features oriental dishes, including chicken and noodle tom yum soup and salmon and ramen noodles. Kuta is the latest Glasgow venue in Tomkins’ portfolio, which includes Urban Bar &#38; Brasserie, Vroni’s, Vodka Wodka, Booly Mardy’s and Blue Dog.

Rumour set to sweep city A POP-up cocktail bar is

set to return to Aberdeen for the second year running next month. Rumour, which combines cocktails, art and music, will be set up at an as yet secret location in the city on December 2 and 3. Adrian Gomes, who runs

Aberdeen-based bar and events company 10 Dollar Shake, will create the drinks list.

Ale fans flock

to north east MORE than 2000 cask ale fans descended on Stonehaven earlier this month when the Aberdeenshire town hosted its third annual Real Ale Festival. The event featured ales from every working brewery in Scotland as well as live music performances.

2 - SLTN - November 24, 2011

“The Sheep Heid is a pub with so much history that we have had to be very sensitive with the restoration to ensure that we main-

tain the charm and character that can be found in every nook and cranny,” he said. “As well as making changes to the interior to make it an inviting place to enjoy a drink, we are also launching a brand new menu featuring a wide range of traditional, fresh cooked dish- es – along with a few modern surprises. “We are confident that once people have been to visit us we will quickly develop a reputation for not only being one of the best pubs in Edinburgh, but also one of the best dining destinations.” The pub is said to take its name from a ram’s head snuff box – a gift from King James VI of Scotland.

Glasgow’s Radisson Blu set for new owner as sale nears completion

Five-star hotel firms hit buffers

By Dave Hunter

THE parent companies of five- star hotels in Glasgow and Ed- inburgh have gone into admin- istration.

SI Argyle Street Limited and SI Hotels Glasgow Investments Limited, which own and run the Radisson Blu in Glasgow’s Argyle Street under franchise, called in administrators earlier this month. It came after The Scotsman Hotel Group Limited went into administration last month, al- though KPMG said the subsidi- ary which operates The Scots- man Hotel in Edinburgh – The Scotsman Hotel Company Lim- ited – is not affected. Radisson Blu’s administra-

tors, RSM Tennon, confirmed that an undisclosed preferred bidder for the 250-bedroom ho- tel, which opened in Glasgow in November 2002 and includes the Collage bar and restaurant and Atrium bar, has been cho- sen, with the sale process hav- ing been underway for “some months”. Joint administrator Tom Ma- cLennan hopes to complete the

hotel,” he said. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual at the five-star Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh after ad- ministrators were called in to parent company The Scotsman Hotel Group Limited (SHGL). Located in the former Scots- man newspaper offices on North Bridge since 2001, the hotel has 69 bedrooms and suites, a health club and spa and the North Bridge Brasserie. Ian Corfield and David Craw-

shaw of KPMG’s restructuring practice said the hotel’s opera- tor, The Scotsman Hotel Com- pany Limited, is not in admin- istration.

sale soon, with staff expected to transfer across to the new busi- ness. “We wish to reassure all staff

and customers that our inten- tion is to continue business as usual and focus our efforts on completing a rapid sale of the

two UK subsidiaries which are not in administration; The Scotsman Hotel Company Lim- ited, which runs The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh, and The Baby Grand Hotel Company Limited, which runs 42 The Calls Hotel in Leeds,” KPMG ex- plained in a statement. “SHGL also owns Tremoille Holdings SA, which runs Hotel de la Tremoille in Paris. “All hotels continue to trade as normal.”

G1 broadcasts news of office move

GLASGOW-based bar and nightclub operator G1 Group is to relocate its head office from the Merchant City to the former BBC Scotland HQ in the west end. Stefan King’s firm, which operates more than 40 managed venues across Scotland, bought the building, which has been empty since the BBC moved to Pacific Quay in 2007, from a subsidiary of RBS for an undisclosed sum. Previously owned by developers, the property was initially set to

be transformed into a boutique hotel. Now G1 plans to revamp the building in Queen Margaret Drive,

which dates from 1869 and was laterally on the buildings at risk register, into offices; it will relocate more than 100 management, operations, marketing, call centre and IT staff to the property from

the current HQ in Virginia Street. Group operations director David McDowall said the rapid

expansion of the company, particularly over the last year, means it has outgrown its existing offices, where G1 has been based since 1993. The new building will provide space to accommodate future growth, he said. “The prospect of G1 being based in a building with such a creative history is extremely exciting,” said McDowall. “Everyone in the team is looking forward to working in such a

stimulating environment and genuinely feels that the building and location reflects the ethos of our steadily growing company and our ambition to remain at the cutting edge of the hospitality industry in Scotland.”